Seanad Éireann debate -
Thursday, 17 Feb 1994

Vol. 139 No. 6

Adjournment Matter. - Cabinteely (County Dublin) GAA Clubhouse.

Mr. Cosgrave

I wish to raise a matter of deep concern to Cabinteely GAA club, a prospering club. Coming from a prominent GAA county, I am sure the Minister of State is only too well aware that developing clubs should be given every assistance. Dublin County Council has provided this club with primitive facilities which have no electricity, heat or running water. I am sure the Minister of State will agree that in this day and age such primitive facilities are not good enough. I thought the days of changing by the edge of the pitch had ended, but it appears that is not the case in a part of Dublin.

This club has not been given much assistance. As the Minister for Finance gave a deserved £5 million towards the development of Croke Park, I hope there will be a balanced approach and grants will be allocated to developing clubs, many of whom have to organise fund-raising events to keep going. The Cabinteely club caters for 11 teams, ranging from 9 years of age to adults. It plays both football and hurling and is hoping to establish a camogie team. I ask the Minister to give a commitment to assist it. I have no doubt the Minister for Education will be interested in this matter. Perhaps both of them could secure a modest sum of money for this club.

There are approximately 200 players involved in Cabinteely GAA Club and it is well supported in the area. The club should be helped provide proper changing facilities. It is not good enough that teams should have to change in a prefabricated building without basic shower facilities. The club wants to build a clubhouse with dressing rooms, showers and a function room and are prepared to make a contribution to the costs. Small clubs like these should be supported because they are developing gaelic games in an area where such games are not traditional.

Given the Minister's background in County Kilkenny, I acknowledge his commitment to the GAA. I do not think the Dublin hurling team will threaten his county for another year, and his county footballers will not worry our football selection either. However, the Leas-Chathaoirleach's county football team may provide a sterner test for us in the months ahead.

I hope the Minister will examine the request and give a commitment to respond with some good news. The club contacted the Minister's office approximately five months ago. The players, many of them young people, need a decent start and should have basic changing facilities.

Minister of State at the Department of Education (Mr. Aylward)

I thank Senator Cosgrave for raising this matter. I have been aware of this application for some time. Some of my neighbours from that great hurling county Senator Cosgrave referred to have settled in that area and have also contacted me.

This Adjournment debate provides me with the opportunity to outline to Seanad Éireann details of the scheme the Department of Education operates in assisting local clubs, organisations and community groups in providing sport and physical recreation facilities around the country. In addition to the scheme to provide major national and regional sports facilities, the Department operates the recreational facilities scheme, which is aimed at local developments such as the improvement of playing pitches, provision of sports facilities, clubhouses and so on.

The Department of Education placed advertisements in the national daily newspapers last week, inviting applications from voluntary community organisations and sports clubs who wish to apply for assistance under the recreational facilities scheme. The closing date for the receipt of completed application forms is 4 March 1994. Because of that, I am constrained from giving any information as to who might be grantaided. Cabinteely GAA Club sent the completed application form to the Department and its request for assistance will be considered with the other applications when the closing date has passed.

In the budget the Government gave a great boost to sport by providing an additional £3 million for the recreational facilities scheme. The Senator will be aware that this is the first year for the past four that a figure of this nature has been provided. I admit it was badly needed and I have been making representations about it for some time.

This extra funding will be of tremendous benefit to local clubs and organisations throughout the country. We have many hundreds of applications for funding on hand and as a result of last week's newspaper advertisement, many more requests are coming in. To date, we have received well in excess of 1,000 extra applications in the Department since last Friday, which shows the number of interested voluntary groups. In the Department, we will examine and consider the applications strictly on the basis of the following criteria; the priority of the proposed improvement or facility in relation to the organisation's existing facilities, the ability of the organisation to undertake the project and claim the grant in 1994, the amount of local funds available, the availability of other facilities in the area and the requirement to achieve an equitable geographic spread of funds on which I have personally insisted in the scheme. The Senator will appreciate that Cabinteely GAA club fulfils all the criteria in this regard.

I thank the Senator for raising this matter and I assure him that the club's application will be given careful consideration in the allocation of grants under the scheme this year. As I said I am personally aware of the great work carried out by this club and I certainly will look favourably at their application at the appropriate time.

The Seanad adjourned at 4.10 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 23 February 1994.